Democrats and Religion

It seems to me that the Democrat Party finds religion only in even numbered years.

The Catholics:

This year, Clinton has fared well among Catholic voters in early primary states and she holds a substantial lead over Obama among Catholic Democrats in Pennsylvania polls. Some analysts argue, however, that Catholic voters' race, age and economic status - rather than religion - are more likely to play a greater role in determining their vote.

Pennsylvania has an estimated 3.8 million Catholics, or just over 30 percent of the state's population, and the percentage among Democrats is estimated to be slightly higher.

Scranton is the hometown of the late Gov. Robert P. Casey, a feisty Catholic politician who stood up to the Democratic Party over abortion. Pennsylvania's version of the so-called "Reagan Democrat" willing to buck the party on such issues are called "Casey Democrats," and they are a critical voting bloc in Pennsylvania.

"Those so-called Casey Democrats will be looking for a broad agenda on social justice, economic justice and a recognition by the candidate, by our nominee that he or she will be someone who can talk about their faith, but more important than that, can listen to them, listen to what their concerns are and also listen to them about their faith and their point of view," said Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania's junior senator and the son of the former governor.

Bravely Bob Casey Jr is bucking the endorsement trend and standing athwart history with his finger in the wind.

The Jews:

Like the general population of super-delegates, whose support remains fluid, several Jewish supporters of the New York senator said in interviews that their votes still remain up for grabs. All told, more than 70 Jewish super-delegates will make the trip to Denver this summer for the Democrats’ nominating convention. They account for nearly one-10th of the party’s nearly 800 so-called super-delegates, the informal term for elected and party officials whose status as delegates to the convention does not depend on state primaries and caucuses.

If the Democratic presidential primary comes down to a photo finish, these Jewish insiders could play an outsized role in anointing a nominee at the party’s August convention. And it would be a history-making experience: Although Jews have long been considered a formidable voting bloc and have been overrepresented among the country’s cadre of liberal activists and thinkers, they have only more recently become common as Democratic establishment insiders, with unprecedented numbers of both Jewish elected officials and party leaders.

“Politics in America has become a Jewish profession, just like arts and the law,” said Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council and the author of a book about Jews and American politics. “We now are overrepresented in all these areas.”

... to the chagrin of Democrat politicians like Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Fans of the Immaculate Reception:

Steelers legend Franco Harris opened Sen. Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Washington County.

Obama's opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, made her rounds in Western Pennsylvania this week, stopping in Greensburg.

She's come under fire for comments about landing under sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996, but CBS News video from that day showed no gunfire.

Harris says he won't trash the senator.

"Things like that are really not important to me. You know, those are issues that sidetrack from the real issues," he said.

... like which way that "fumble" bounced.

Dem2008 Primary Posted by AlexC at March 27, 2008 12:35 AM